Demons in My Dreams
by Sera Luanma
Summary: Usa/Vold kind of HP/Usa: When she sleeps, she sees him in the past and falls in love. Seeing his death, she swears revenge. Now, a new teacher is going to Hogwarts, not knowing he is still alive...and begins to fall for someone else.
1. Now I lay me

Title: The Demons in my Dreams  
Chapter: 1 - Now I lay Me  
Author: Sera Luanma  
  
Disclaimer: Me? Own something? Don't make me laugh! HAH!  
  
A/N: This is an idea that popped in my head when people began commenting on a Usa/Vold match-up for my other crossover.   
So, sorry to say the other won't be, but this is my way of making up. I really hope you enjoy since this is really still   
my beginning sojourn into the Harry Potter crossover world. Usagi will be 18 in her time, this takes place two years after   
Stars and the other senshi have gone their own ways.  
  
-----  
  
Her dark cerulean eyes surveyed the torn ground of the battlefield wearily. Her magic had been used up almost to the draining point, but she had enough left for a simple   
healing spell or an apparate if things looked desperate. One thought circled in the woman's mind:  
  
/Must find my husband. He could be wounded or killed!/  
  
Heart speeding up at the thought of her beloved's death, she pushed herself harder, ignoring the warning signs her body was giving off. She could focus on her injuries   
later. She heard shouted hexes and ran to where she thought it came from, stumbling only once in her need to get there. /If only Rei could see me now. Not so clumsy   
anymore, ne?/ Tears running down her face, she burst through the low foliage and saw her mate standing tall and deadly atop the hill across from his rival. His wild, dark   
hair swept back with the sharp wind and his robes fluttered, the only thing marking him different from his enemy was his eyes. It was always his eyes. A shouted curse, him   
bending in pain, and the other, the hated other, laughing. She stared uncomprehendingly, then screamed, loud and wordless.  
  
A bright light flared into existence on her forehead and rippled down her body, exceeding her previous transformation and sending her into her final state...The one that   
would mean death to her and those that opposed her. The fresh power sent a new surge of speed through her body and swept away all discomfort. The moon sparkled brilliantly   
on her daughter's icy wings.  
  
/I am Cosmos, Creator and Destroyer...I shall not see the end to this, will I, mother?/  
  
She saw the green of the final curse /Fitting to be the color of a hero's eyes./ and thrust away her husband, seeing his startled face for only an instant as the fiery pain   
washed through her body. She looked at him and let her love fill her eyes, whispering his name "Tom...", and closing them softly as two voice cried out in unison.  
  
"NO! SERENITY!"  
  
"USAGI?!"  
  
-----  
  
It started like most things, quietly. Some would say insidiously, but to the beautiful and pure Usagi Tsukino, nothing in the world could darken her life. Until *that* day.  
  
"Usagi, I can't keep doing this. It's tearing me apart."  
  
The man's girlfriend tilted her head quizzically. "Keep doing what, Mamo-chan?"  
  
"I can't keep up this charade of dating. What we were back in the Silver Millennium isn't what we are today. I just can't love you like Endymion did." Mamoru Chiba clutched   
his girlfriend's hands and stared at her, urging her not to ditz out.  
  
Usagi still hadn't fully accepted what he meant. "But...we're going to get married and have Chibi-Usa! We still love each other in the future, so obviously we love each   
other now."  
  
"NO!" Calming himself, Mamoru tried reasoning with her again, "Usagi, Pluto was wrong, we won't marry because I can't go through with it. My time in America showed me a lot   
of things, and one of them was making my own decisions. What I decided as Endymion doesn't matter because I am NOT him anymore. I am my own person." He took a deep breath   
and looked up, meeting Usagi's eyes.  
  
She was beyond shocked. A hazy sense of well-being filled her and she giggled slightly, not knowing why he flinched. "Okay Mamo-chan, I love you too. We're still going to   
the Arcade tomorrow, right? You promised." Her empty voice held a hint of fear. "You promised..." she trailed off.  
  
"Usagi! I don't love you anymore! Don't you understand?!"  
  
'Don't you understand?!' rung through her mind. All the old memories of them together and all the happy plans for the future welled up in her mind, popped by a single   
phrase. 'Don't you understand?!'  
  
'I...I understand, Chiba Mamoru." She mechanically took off her engagement ring and handed it to him, softly separating their entwined grasp. "I won't...be a nuisance   
anymore then..." her voice broke. Not wanting him to see her tears, she turned and fled, retreating to the only safety she'd known...  
  
Home.  
  
-----  
  
Her parents were on vacation and Shingo was at a friend's house, leaving Usagi alone in the house, just what she wanted at the moment. Collapsing on her bed, she buried her   
face into the sweet smelling pillow, crying till she fell into a fitful slumber filled with dreams.  
  
...It was dark and Usagi found herself in a Victorian hallway, portraits on both sides that whispered and moved just outside her normal vision. She glanced down and found   
herself in a black nightgown, draping and slit up the sides. Doors were on both sides of the hallway and Usagi moved to the first on the left, feeling the sense of   
rightness that she be doing this. She opened it and stepped into the beckoning twilight.  
  
A child danced in the rain in front of her, laughing and chatting to an invisible friend and the warm drizzle continued to fall. Usagi smiled at the happy scene and gave a   
brief thought to her would-be daughter. She pushed it aside and watched the small boy, noting his looks. He had wild black hair and a cheery smile. She estimated him to be   
about five and gave a startle when he looked straight at her with crimson eyes.  
  
'Are you an angel?' he asked innocently, like most children do. Usagi only then noticed her wings spread to either side of her body, shielding her from the rain. The scene   
had a sense of timelessness about it as she replied.  
  
'Not an angel. Just someone who enjoys seeing you happy.' The boy's smile widened at her statement. 'What is your name, little one?'  
  
'Tom,' he replied proudly, puffing out his chest. 'What is yours?'  
  
'I am...Serenity.' Trying out her many names in her head, Serenity felt right with this winged body.  
  
'Will you be my mommy, Serenity?'  
  
His innocent question made tears run down her face, mingling with the few raindrops that fell from her feathers. Her voice choked up and she couldn't reply.  
  
'Don't cry. Why are you crying? I'm sorry, whatever I did! Don't leave!' his echoing plea was the last thing she heard as the scene faded, placing her back in the hall,   
wings and nightgown still in place. Taking a minute to compose herself, she looked at the door on the left and stepped through, right into the scene from one of her   
nightmares.  
  
The place was gray with a pervading atmosphere of gloom. A small plaque was next to the gates, covered in a layer of London filth. Usagi wiped away enough to make out some   
words.  
  
  
  
Critchon Fields Orphanage  
  
  
  
Usagi glance around and noticed a few tired swings to one corner of the yard, the only indication children were about. Slipping in through the gates, she saw a lone figure   
behind a tree, playing with a stick. He looked older now, about 11, but Usagi had the feeling it was still the same Tom who had begged her not to go. Her idea was confirmed   
when he turned and she saw those eyes turn on her, widening in shock, then swirling with mixed emotions. Before she could say anything, he spoke.  
'I thought you were a figment of my imagination. Does this mean I'm hallucinating again?'  
  
Drawing back at the coldness in his voice, she fumbled for a reply. 'I'm not a figment, so I don't think you're hallucinating. Why are you here, Tom?'  
  
He spoke bitterly, 'My nanny died and my father couldn't be found, so they put me here. Even Hogwarts thinks I'm better off here.'  
  
'Hogwarts?'  
  
"The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' Seeing her disbelieving look, he rolled his eyes. 'You're an angel and you doubt magic? What kind of mythical creature are you?'  
  
'I'm not an angel, I'm a Lunarian, the last member of the Royal Family reborn into this time...well...*my* time. What year is it?'  
  
Truly startled he replied without thinking, 'It's London, 1938.'  
  
Usagi's wings fluttered in agitation. 'I was born in 1985, in Japan.' She felt herself begin to fade, Tom also noticing this.   
  
'You never did answer my question.' His voice was soft and his eyes shiny when he looked up, 'Leaving again?'  
  
She tried to stop the fading, but the almost familiar hallway appeared again. Usagi rubbed her eyes tiredly and felt exhaustions seep into her limbs. She sat in one of the   
plush chairs to think. She had somehow found her way here, where she seemed to be interacting with parts of some boy's /Tom's/ life. But was it real? She didn't know yet.   
But she found herself drawn to this boy, a strange desire to see where this all led. Her resolve firming, she went to the next door...and stepped through.  
  
It was different this time. She was inside some kind of dungeon room. There was a huge bed in one corner, draped in black and shades of green, and all around was furniture   
and touches of life. A boy strode into the room, robes billowing as he slammed the door. Muttering angrily as he walked to the center of the room, he stopped and gaped at   
Usagi. She felt naked under the admiring gaze the teenager in front of her showed, even if she was in the same nightgown she had been in the times before.  
  
'Tom...' she breathed, shocked at the differences between this version and the small child she remembered. This one towered over her, muscle covering his frame and making   
him seem even more imposing. His hair was longer and his eyes...the same dark windows she remembered were now staring hungrily at her.  
  
'Serenity?'  
  
'Where are we now and how old are you?'  
  
'Hogwarts...and I'm 17, seventh year Prefect.' he replied, making the same strutting gesture she remembered from a innocent little boy. A tear wound it's way down her pale   
cheek, caught by a single finger lifting it up to his lips. Flicking a tongue at the salty drop, Tom spoke huskily. 'Why are you always here when I need someone the most?   
Just...I don't need a mother anymore...' he whispered. Drawing his angel to him, he kissed her softly. Usagi was too shocked to respond, further inhibited when a cold   
feeling spread from his kisses. The cold numbed her and made her legs buckle. Taking this for acquiescence, Tom gently pushed her to the bed, too caught up in need to   
notice her lack of participation. In her mind, Usagi was screaming.  
  
/No! This is Mamo-chan's...not you, Tom!/ But another, harsher part of her mind responded. /Mamo-chan doesn't want you anymore, remember? Besides, this feels good...Why not   
let it continue...What harm could come from it?/ Darkness spread along the edges of her vision and she languidly reached her arms up to caress his back, feeling the   
movement of his muscles when he entered her, feeling the pain of her virginity ripped from her. Tom carefully kissed each tear away as he continued, lost in his own world.   
Usagi felt the cliff coming and dove off, feeling a rush of darkness fill her as Tom also spiraled down from heaven, her wings cradling both of their heated bodies.  
  
'Tom...' she breathed, lost in a daze of emotions.  
  
'Yes?'  
  
'Teach me magic.' When she got up, Usagi never noticed his shrewd look and how he fingered his wand at her request.  
  
-----  
  
Usagi woke with the crack of thunder still sounding in her ears, half remembered spell words still floating in the air. Sitting up straight, she saw her own pale face   
staring back from the mirror. Her room was dark and the digital clock flashed 12:00 in red strobes. Feeling pain at her wrist, lifted the edge of her sleeve slightly. She   
touched the small image tattooed there and winced at the fresh pain the slipped through her system. A small serpent hissed at her prodding before curling back up to sleep.   
Not even acknowledging the fact she understood it, she left the room.  
  
Usagi stumbled wearily down the stairs, not noticing her night vision was nigh perfect in the gloom of the house. Going into the kitchen, she felt around in the fridge and   
pulled out whatever she could, devouring it quickly and trudging back upstairs, feeling as though she hadn't slept at all. A thin package sat on her bed when she came back   
up. Clutching her brooch tightly in case of an intruder, she reached over and pulled it to her, standing back to a wall. Slipping the case top off, she couldn't breath at   
the sight of the gift.  
  
A thin, black wand sat on a velvet cushion. A small piece of paper stuck up from the lining.  
  
  
  
Dearest Daughter,  
  
If you have received this, I am gone but you have inherited the magic.  
I am sorry I won't be there to teach you, but now you must take up  
the mantle of power I have bequeathed to you. It is a wand of heart-  
wood, ebonstone, and a strand of my hair.   
  
Know only one thing:   
  
When the dark voice sings, do not answer it's call. Your father left  
one gift to you that I cannot stop. Please be careful and follow   
your heart.  
  
Queen Selenity  
  
  
  
Dropping the box and note to the floor, she picked up the wand and felt the coursing magic move through her. Smiling wickedly, though she couldn't see it, she moved her   
wand in a circular pattern, pointing it at her chair and muttering one of the spells she remembered from Tom.  
  
"Incendio." A burst of fire and the chair was incinerated, faster than even Tom's performance.  
  
"Perfect, princessss." she heard. Turning swiftly, she scanned the room, lit only by the still smoldering remains of her chair. The voice continued, "Your magic is strong   
and Massster hasss taught you well." Noticing the sibilant sound to the words, she acted on a hunch and pulled up her sleeve again. The small black snake had uncurled   
itself and was gazing at her with carmine eyes. "I am Celesstiss and am at your command."  
  
Remembering the final spell Tom had cast before she had faded, she wasn't overly surprised at the sight of her. "How do you speak?"  
  
"I am imbued with Masster Voldemort'ss power. He hasss commanded me to look after you, hisss princesss."  
  
"Voldemort? Do you mean Tom?"  
  
"He isss alssso known asss that."  
  
Usagi sighed softly and then laughed at the irony of talking to a tattoo when she was still trying to come to terms she had actually been in the past, following the life of   
a boy she was drawn to. "What am I supposed to do now?" she asked herself softly, not expecting an answer.  
  
"Go to Hogwartsss."  
  
Stunned that she hadn't thought of something that simple, she caressed her arm, laughing slightly at the muted hiss of pleasure. "But Tom isn't there and I'm too old to be   
a student..."  
  
"Become a teacher. There mussst be an opening."  
  
"Of course! Well, first I'll need to find someway to come into contact with them...then study up on whatever topic I have to teach. Kami-sama, teaching is a long way from a   
36 percent on my own tests. Magic just seems easier somehow."  
  
"Thatsss becaussse you're ssso powerful. I can take care of transssporatation. Would you like to go now, princesss?"  
  
"Better get started right away...wait! It's late though!"  
  
"Not in London," came the reply, and with a muted spell, the girl known as Usagi had disappeared.  
  
-----  
  
She reappeared next to an old building in the middle of a busy street. "Welcome to Diagon Alley, Princesss...No one can underssstand me but you, ssso don't talk loudly.   
You'll need money firssst. Hold out your hand." Doing as she was commanded, Usagi heard another spell and a small gold key appeared in her palm. Clutching it tightly, she   
followed directions to Gringotts Bank. A little nervous at approaching a goblin, she walked up and breathlessly announced herself.  
  
"Tsukino Usagi for vault 12." Understanding her Japanese, it stared over the bridge of it's nose at her, and swept her bedraggled figure disdainfully before answering,   
expecting her to be just another trying to get into the ancient vault that this generation and the previous generation of goblins hadn't been able to get into.  
  
"Key?"  
  
Handing him the small golden key, it's eyes widened and called over the master goblin itself. "She wants into vault 12...she has the key."  
  
"Very well, follow me."  
  
A fast cart-ride later had Usagi on the ground, retching up her snack from earlier. Ignoring the hissed question about her health, she straightened and motioned for the   
vault to be opened. Inserting the key and running a finger down the door, it swung open and revealed its wealth to the stunned teen. Mounds of gold, silver, and bronze   
winked in the torchlight. Piles of jewels lay in one corner, and towards the back was a dusty shelf covered in parchments. She listened to the quiet hiss and walked in   
towards the back, shuffling papers and sneezing at decades of dust. She found the few she needed and tucked them away, grabbing a large number of coins to go into a bag on   
her way out.  
  
"Thank you." a grumble was her only response, taken good naturedly in light of her new-found wealth. Back on the street of Diagon Alley, she pressed her wand to her throat   
and whispered, "Translato," suddenly understanding the conversation around her. Spotting a robes shop, she walked in and was immediately set upon by a smiling woman.  
  
"Madame Malkin. Please stand there. Let me take your measurements...My, but aren't you healthy?" Blushing at the fast comments, Usagi almost missed the last one.  
  
"Well, this silver hair will certainly go nicely with the traditional black." Usagi pulled forward a part of her hair and gasped, it was pure silver, not the customary   
moon-kissed gold. Pushing it to the back of her mind for now, she started listing the robes she'd need, based on Celestis's suggestions. "I need three sets of black, two in   
traditional cut and one modern; two in hunter green, one with a laced bodice and silver stitching-"  
  
"Slytherin are we?"  
  
"I'm not sure, Madame." Continuing, "One in midnight blue and..." she blushed before adding one last, "Wedding-robes in silver, please." Catching the wink, she smiled   
softly. "Hopefully they will be needed."  
  
Charming her bags to lighten and shrink, she hurried in the darkening air to gather up some books, writing supplies, potions supplies, and finally a stop in the Owlery for   
a messenger. Choosing a simple northern spotted, she paid the 25 galleons and walked out, exhausted but happy at her days accomplishments. Usagi walked slowly, stopping at   
a shop displaying brooms. "Flying? I can fly?...oh, Haruka would be envious. Hmm..." Walking in, she looked around, having no idea at types or differences. She was finally   
taken pity on by the salesman.  
  
"May I help you, Miss?"  
  
"Yes...I'd like your fastest broom and one that has the best maneuverability." When he stared at her apprehensively, she softened her voice. "Cost doesn't really matter."  
  
"Uh, the fastest right now is the Firebolt Extreme, but the most maneuverable is the Meteor Strike 2." Picking up the brooms from the back, and the Firebolt from the display   
window he asked where they would be delivered to. Thinking a moment, she wrote down the Outer's home and quickly penned a note to her guardians.  
  
  
  
Haruka,  
  
Put a hand out, command up, and mount the broom. It is the fastest model.  
Since you can't be the wind, I felt you might like going as fast as it.  
  
Love,  
Koneko  
  
P.s.  
Keep an eye on her, Michiru, Setsuna. She might never come down once she   
gets on. Send Hotaru my love.  
  
  
Attaching it, she accepted the Meteor Strike and reached for her money pouch. "That will be-" the man choked, "489 galleons." Not even blinking (1), Usagi paid her bill and   
walked out. "Anything else, Celestis? I want to go home."   
  
"Only one more...the pet shop."  
  
Sighing in defeat, she strode quickly off the almost deserted street and right into a tangle of smells and sounds. Wandering down the reptile aisle, she smiled at the   
conversations.  
  
"That one, Princesss." The small serpent uncurled and pointed its tail at a sleeping gray Lancehead. It was almost at maturity and so was about 5 feet in length. Blanking   
out the rest of Celestis's lecture, she tapped the glass and jumped back when it darted for where her finger had been. She glared at the snake and subdued it, not noticing   
she had slipped into Parseltongue until the salesman dropped a glass case he had just cleaned. She glance up and smiled apologetically.  
  
"I'm sorry, I had something stuck in my throat. I'd like to buy this one." she pointed to the now calm Lancehead.  
  
The salesman, accepting her excuse in relief, grew nervous again. "Are you sure, Miss? Lanceheads are notoriously aggressive and have lethal bites. That is why this one is   
still here even though he's almost full grown. I wouldn't want to see someone as young as you get hurt by one." Usagi stiffened at the clerk's condescending voice.  
  
Her voice was cold when she replied, "I am positive. He doesn't look too aggressive to me." And before the man could stop her, she opened the tank and pulled out the docile   
serpent, letting it slide up so it draped around her neck with it's tail curled down her arm. Eyes wide, the man stuttered, "Ten galleons...Miss."  
  
-----  
  
Usagi was happy to be home. After purchasing some supplies for her new 'pet', she had apparated straight home, exhausted beyond belief. She pulled out her packages and   
resized them all, stunned by the sheer amount of things she had bought. She absently started to unpack.  
  
"Well, what should I name you, serpent?"  
  
"I am Sinissster, Missstresss. How isss it you speak our tongue?"  
  
Usagi paused, in thought. "I have no idea. Maybe Tom did something that caused this. Why did you want me to buy Sinister, Celestis?"  
  
"I will merge with the snake to better ssserve you, Princesss." Sinister looked wary at this.   
  
"Why should I let you merge with me?"  
  
"Becaussse thisss isss Princesss Serenity and our Massster hasss commanded thisss thing. It will give you the power to use spells."  
  
The Lancehead looked interested at this tidbit and gave his consent. The small tattooed snake slid up Usagi's arm and touched tongues with the other, slowly, the ink merged   
with the red forked tongue of Sinister and Usagi watched in fascination as blackness rolled down the snake's body, causing the lighter dorsal triangles to fade into the   
gray and disappear. A blink of the membranes across the eyes and Usagi was delighted to see one black and one red. Looking at her wrist, she noticed a faint burn mark still   
on the inner arm that solidified as she watched. It was a snake curling out of a skull with a band of gray around the head.  
  
Sinister's voice was different when he spoke again. "I feel strange. I have different memories and power...but I still feel the same."   
  
"Oh no! I lost Celestis? That was something Tom had given me..." tears ran down her ivory cheeks.  
  
Sinister curled up her arm and flicked them away, strangely reminiscent of Tom's kisses during their night together. "Princesss...I am him and yet...myself. Not lost,   
  
jussst changed. That mark on your arm isss the resssidue from the parting. Do not ssshow it to people."  
  
"Alright. Well, time to write to Hogwarts and see if there is a job opening. I think I'm more likely to get it if I tell the Headmaster that I'm the Lunarian Princess...  
Probably someone will recognize me anyways." Usagi picked up her new copy of "Hogwarts: A History" and flipped through, finding the name of the current Headmaster easily,  
plus the bad luck it had in Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. Smiling happily, she began composing her letter with a new quill and the bottle of rose ink she just   
*couldn't* pass up.  
  
  
  
Headmaster Dumbledore,  
  
I have heard of your difficulty in finding good Defense teachers and feel  
our situations are related. I am the reincarnated Princess Serenity XX of   
the Silver Kingdom, but am known as Usagi Tsukino in public. I haven't   
had any formal education, but have been trained up to the standards of any   
Hogwarts graduate, mostly self-study. If it is still open, I'd like to apply   
for the Defense Against the Dark Arts opening. My resume and credentials are  
attached. I hope to hear back from you soon.  
  
With Regards,  
Usagi Tsukino  
  
  
  
Satisfied with the result, she attached the sheets of parchment that she had recovered in Tom's vault, made long ago for her to verify what she had written. Smiling   
slightly, she wondered about her lost lover as she sent out her owl into the still storming air. Usagi calculated on a spare piece of paper and found Tom to be 76...if he   
was still alive. Resolving to find out more, she got ready for bed and started reading "Great Events of the Modern Era". She fell asleep that way, book falling to the floor   
and Sinister curled up under the covers with her, tongue occasionally touching her skin in communion.  
  
-----  
  
Before Usagi had even opened her eyes, she could guess where she was. It was the feeling of heaviness that weighed on the soul that tipped her off. Gazing around at the   
paintings, she noticed that this time they moved while she was looking. The bowed and curtsied as she passed, moving down the hall till she came to the doors again. Looking   
at the three she had previously visited, she noticed they had silver locks on them...banned to her gaze. A soft voice startled her musings.  
  
"Princesss? Why are we here? It smells...odd." Sinister was at her feet, but being noticed, quickly slid up her body and wrapped himself around her waist, pushing under the   
mass of silver hair to drape his lance shaped head over her shoulder. Usagi caressed his head absently as she replied, moving towards the next door.  
  
"We go to see my..." she hesitated, trying to think of what to call him. "lover." And she walked through the passageway, glorious smile gracing her lips as she came out...  
That died a quick death when she saw where she was. Usagi stood in the middle of a yard filled with darkly robed figures. She gave a tremulous, "Tom?" when people began   
turning to her. A tall, dark figure pushed his was through the crowd of onlookers.  
  
"Serenity...Come to see my night of glory?" he opened his arms and she rushed into them, wings fanning out to enclose them softly. Tilting her head up, she was rewarded by   
a deep kiss. Pulling away, she fingered the strands of white to each temple. Burying her face in his robes, she whispered to him softly. "How long was I gone this time?"  
  
"It has been thirty-six years...I thought you had gone for good." he murmured, stroking her skin softly. Usagi sighed in contentment and closed her cerulean eyes, not   
noticing the coldness in him, only the slight coolness of him. He pushed her away slightly. "Fold you wings. Time to meet my family of loyal Deatheaters." Startled at his   
command, she nevertheless obeyed, drawing to his side. Sinister hissed dangerously to a robed figure that came a little too close.  
  
"Don't even think about it, I'm deadly."  
  
Before Voldemort could say anything, the circle of followers closest were stunned into silence by Usagi's actions. She hissed loudly, telling Sinister to shut up in front   
of her Tom and Celestis's master. Quietly muttering to himself, he slid his head around her neck and gazed blankly at those in front of them.  
  
"This, my loyal Deatheaters, is my mate, Serenity. You will accord her the same respect you give to me. Now, on to our night of glory! Lucius, Severus, to me!" Clasping her   
hand firmly, he waited while two men came up to him and bowed. "Severus, you will follow me and keep watch on Serenity. Lucius...tonight you will become my second when we   
complete our task."   
  
The one called Lucius smiled and pushed back the hood of his robe, startling Serenity. His malicious smirk was at odds with his beauty. His hair was a couple shades darker   
than hers and his eyes were the color of finely honed steel...and just as sharp. Giving her a admiring glance that left her feeling naked. She drew closer to the one   
ordered to look after her and took comfort in his slightly warmer grin. He pulled out his wand and transfigured her nightgown into a full gown, back gone to give her wings   
access. She murmured her thanks as she followed her lover and his followers into the house, unknowing of what she would soon see.   
  
Voldemort flung open the door and let loose a barrage of hexes, ending with a loud, "Avada Kedavra!" Usagi, hearing the screams from inside, rushed in against Severus's   
shouts otherwise. Coming up behind Tom, she felt sick as she saw the tortured face of the one he had killed.  
  
"Darling, I told you to go with Severus. I can't keep you safe right now."  
  
She stood up to him and pulled out her wand. "I can keep myself safe!" Ignoring the shocked look of Lucius, she kept her eyes locked firmly with Tom's. "Why are you killing   
these people? What have they done?" Thinking carefully, he leaned down and kissed her.  
  
"They tried to destroy me." Usagi's reaction was exactly as he thought and she sank back with a feeble "Why?".   
  
"I am powerful and a threat to Dumbledore, so he tried to have me killed. This is the home of the perpetrators." And with that, he continued upstairs, leaving her shaking   
on the floor. She was hissing softly to Sinister.   
  
"But...I'm going to be working for Dumbledore..." her companion's reply was lost in the feminine shriek and the bellow of rage that came from upstairs. Not even knowing how   
she did it, Usagi found herself in the room of origin, completely ignoring the woman on the ground in favor of her lover. He was being shredded by the sheer power of his   
rebounded curse. Crying out, she tried to draw him into her arms, but he was fading away. The baby was screaming, but Usagi didn't care. In the depths of her need, a light   
flared into existence on her forehead. Ebony light filled the room from the upside down crescent on her head. Her wail filled the house and the roof exploded outward from   
the force. Severus and Lucius grabbed the door frame to keep themselves anchored and could only watch in awe at the small woman's transformation.  
  
Her wings snapped outwards and filled with the light she emitted, slowly turning black. Cradling the last thing she had of her mate's, she held both wands as her gown   
ripped from her body, curves obscured by creeping ribbons not unlike those of her transformation. Her hair was unbound in the gale of the room, fluttering in a silver   
waterfall as tears poured from the depths of her eyes. Only the baby's wailing pierced her grief. Moving slowly to the cradle, she picked up the little boy and rocked him   
gently, wind dying down as she crooned a lullaby. The baby stilled and quieted. She set him down and gazed with eyes that contained the depths of the universe. "You have   
killed my beloved...So live now in your fame, but know you are mine one day. I will have you replace him since it was you who took him from me." She leaned down and kissed   
his forehead, searing a lightning-shaped mark there. Her eyes glowed when she turned to face the men next to the door. "If he dies, you two will meet me on the battlefield."   
  
With a final look at her Chosen, she faded, clutching only her wand.  
  
-----  
  
(1) Usagi doesn't really understand the value of money in the wizarding world, especially with all of Tom's fortune at her disposal.  
  
TBC?  
  
Well? Give me your reviews or you won't see another chapter of this. I'm making a nice little tangle for Usagi when she sees that Voldemort is back but has Chosen Harry, she left   
the mark and that is binding. So...Feedback needed!! 


	2. Down to Sleep

Title: Demons in my Dreams  
Chapter 2 - Down to Sleep  
Author: Sera Luanma  
  
A/N: See the end for reviewer thank you's! Sorry, too, that this chapter was so short. It's more of a set-up for things to come. So bear with me till the next one comes out. There were some good questions that Kaiki had, and I'm sorry if they weren't made clearer.   
~Is Usagi dreaming of the past?  
Well...sort of. She's actually going into parts of Voldemort's life. The doors are the major events in his lifetime. So every time she goes into one, she's changing the present. Don't think about it too hard, it gives you headaches.  
  
~What about the dream where she dies?  
Sorry people, that wasn't a dream. That is the future that I'm catching up to with what I write. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be a sequel. :)  
  
~Is Usagi evil?  
Essentially, no. She *is*, after all, the reincarnation of purity and light. Her little 'moments' are from Tom. When he taught her magic, obviously he taught her darker spells. She has known nothing of the wizarding world until then and doesn't know the differences between spell types. Also, his kisses are cold because they are the opposite of her lightness...so they feel different then a normal kiss would.  
  
Setting: After high school for senshi, during fall, so almost middle of term for the Hogwarts students.  
  
-----  
  
"NO! SERENITY!"  
  
"USAGI?!"  
  
She heard the dual shouts as she fell, the power of the Avada Kedavra crashing into her life force and her body to slow in it's workings, less effective on her than others due to her abnormal amount of magic. The ground rushed up to meet her, crushing her face into the rich, semi-damp soil. She felt her body being turned over by two sets of hands and she stared into the faces of the two men she had loved, ironic how closely they resembled each other. Turning to her husband, she winced at the feral grief in his eyes.  
  
"Oh, Tom...Never meant for this to happen." Harry's eyes were a dead color, nothing piercing the very emptiness his grief caused. "Harry...beloved...Chosen. Take care of Tom and Jaime." Looking up to the bright Lunar surface, she smiled even as tears welled up and dripped down her cheeks, not noticing them crystallize into small diamonds. She smiled at something the men couldn't see, and they could only watch her last moments.   
  
"Mama? Where have you been? I have so much to tell you..."  
  
And with a final weak heave of her chest, the one that both men had lain on and taken comfort from, Tsukino Usagi, reincarnated Princess of the Moon, was no longer in the realms of the living to hear the wails of her passing.  
  
-----  
  
Usagi woke up screaming. She could still see the pleading on Tom's face when he was being ripped apart by his own spell. The feeling of holding his wand still burned her hands. Picking up her book on great events, she flipped through till she found the entry she was looking for: October 31st, 1981.  
  
  
  
The Fall of a Dark Lord  
  
He-who-must-not-be-named fell on October 31st after over a decade of fear and torment of   
the muggle and wizarding world alike. He was defeated by a The Boy Who Lived, Harry   
Potter. Some say it was his mother's love for him that caused his downfall, but others   
who prefer to remain anonymous, remember seeing a angel with black wings on that   
Halloween night. Mythology says that the angel of death had black wings. Could it have   
been a divine intervention or simply the power of a mother's love for her son?   
  
  
  
Usagi slowly closed the book. Her question of whether it had happened or was just a dream was answered. It seems as though she had actually been in the past and fallen for someone who was now dead. Her resolve to go to Hogwarts was strengthened. There was not much here for her in the way of opportunity in the muggle world. Hogwarts would allow her to continue her study of magic, something that she was now utterly fascinated by, and pay her to work with children, something she would have loved to do anyway. Setting down her reading, she picked up another text on the area that Tom had never fully covered in their lessons...  
  
Potions.  
  
Flipping to the index and looking at the different mixes she could make, she skipped to a page, she winced at the directions. casting spells was one thing, this was something entirely different. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she pulled out her cauldron and set to preparing her ingredients for a Wit-Sharpener, a fourth year level and about where Usagi judged her skills at. Not only would this be good practice, it would also help her plan her future during and after the summer. She ground up the scarab beetles, cut her ginger root, being careful to keep it from touching anything else, and adding the few drops of armadillo bile necessary for the full effect. After stirring clockwise a few times and letting it come to an almost boil. Quenching the flames, she tipped the levitating cauldron and poured the finished product into two small bottles, corking one for later and quickly drinking the other. Wincing at the taste, she nevertheless felt an instant sharpening of her perceptions. Sitting at her desk, Usagi began listing the things she would need to do as a teacher at Hogwarts other than lessons.  
  
To Do:  
-Find and purchase other housing outside Hogwarts  
-Find and purchase furnishings  
-Try to contact Harry Potter/Chosen  
-Establish way for family/muggle friends to contact  
-Begin researching 'Snake Speak'  
-Look into politics of the wizarding world: 'Dark Lord'?  
  
Before Usagi could add anything to her list, she heard a tapping at the window. Wondering what kind of business couldn't wait till tomorrow when it wasn't storming, she unlocked the glass and pulled in her northern spotted. Giving it a quick pat, she placed it on top of it's cage with a towel and some fresh food. Adding a small note to her parchment to name her owl, she opened the Headmaster's reply.  
  
  
  
Dear Miss Tsukino,  
  
I am happy to hear of your joining of the wizarding population and congratulate  
you on your studies into magic. While I am sorry to say the Defense Against the   
Dark Arts position is filled, I have had the desire to start a new class in the  
school for next term and have yet to find anyone suitable to teach it.  
  
Symbolism: Magical, Mythical, and Muggle (*)  
  
I implore you to consider this opening due to your recent...activities...as  
Sailor Moon. Yes, I know of this other alter-ego and will tell no one unless  
it is at your discretion. This class would include those of fourth year to  
seventh year. If you accept, please owl me as soon as convenient so we can  
set up a meeting to go over any questions on curriculum, and to integrate  
you into our staff. You are welcome to meet with me during this term to look  
around and get a feel for the students, if you decide to teach.  
  
We hope you decide to make your home with us at Hogwarts.  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,   
International Confed. of Wizards)  
  
  
  
Usagi stared at the parchment and burst out into happy laughter. The first part of her plan, the one thing that everything else depended on, was completed. She danced around the room, holding the paper high in her hands. Then she stopped, suddenly, and thought about the enormity of the task at hand. The wit-sharpening potion was still in effect and she began to rapidly process the various tasks that would be required.  
  
-Lesson plans  
-Teaching methods  
-Discipline  
-Interacting with staff  
-Incorporating real life into material  
-Portrayal of a professor  
  
There were others, but those were at the top of the list of immediate concerns. She unrolled more of her parchment and began to sort out material to create lesson plans out of, ignoring everything else until her stomach growled loudly. Irritable, she pulled herself out of the material she was immersed in and stalked down into the kitchen to eat. Usagi didn't even bother with a plate, just began tearing into her food voraciously. Removing herself from the fridge, she was striding up the stairs when she bent over in pain, clutching her stomach. It ripped through her, pushing into all thought from her mind, flaring icy in her limbs, and pulsing behind her vision. One last tsunami rolled over her and Usagi dropped onto the stairs, mercifully unconscious.  
  
-----  
  
She floated.  
  
A white light appeared.  
  
An answering light spread from her body.  
  
A child wailed.  
  
"My dearest daughter...I am sorry to do this to you. Take up your inheritance of power. I command forth that which lies sleeping within you. I draw to you the spirits to command and the elements to answer you. I bind the powers of the moon and of the darkness to your spirit. I call the ancient soul that stirs when you sleep. I will these together to form the Angel of Redemption, the Angel of Power, the Angel of Insanity...The three are one and the spirit is called. ASCEND!"  
  
The light turned black and moved into her.  
  
There was silence.  
  
Then came the screaming.  
  
-----  
  
The first thing Usagi noticed was the power thrumming through every vein, every muscle running through her body. She could feel the minute forces each ligament and tendon exerted on herself. When she could work up the nerve to open her eyes, everything had a radiant edge, a harsh glitter that made the world seem almost...unreal. Feeling something move at the edge of her vision, she grabbed and pulled forward a glowing, feathered wing. Blinking a moment, Usagi tried to remember what sent her into a form of her princess state. Her eyes widened.  
  
The Power! It...bound with her? Reaching into that well of magic she pulled from, she was about to scan it when a little lavender light fluttered in front of her face.  
  
::Your close-blood is going to come into the brick tree. Don't you hide your feathers?::  
  
Wondering at the message, Usagi's eyes widened when she heard the downstairs door open. /Kuso! I must have been out for a couple hours, at least!/ Running up to her room, she slammed the door and paced, trying to think of a way to get rid of her new 'additions'.  
  
::Maybe if you Will them away, they will go.:: The lavender light was back, hovering beside her and following as she paced. Thinking about what it had said, Usagi thought of how she looked without wings and concentrated on that image. She felt a tearing as the flesh on her back opened and the wings folded in, safely concealed even though there was now a large amount of blood. Casting a quick cleaning charm, she turned to the little light.  
  
"Who, or what, are you?"  
  
::I am a spirit for you to command. Your mother bound us to you, so we must obey. But I like the taste of your light and helped you out when your Close-blood came, even though you didn't ask.::  
  
Usagi pondered for a minute. She vaguely remembered pain and a voice, ethereal and haunting, calling something to her. This spirit seemed female and when it spoke, it was like the words had already been spoken and she was hearing the memory in the air. "What are you called?"  
  
::I have no name. Call me what you will.::  
  
"You will be Sol, for you remind me of a colored bit of sun." Usagi was about to continue when she heard muttered curses, both hissed, but from two entirely different animals. Opening her door, she saw Luna and Sinister facing off. "No! Luna, that's Sinister, my new companion. Sinister, if you bite Luna, I'll have your fangs as earrings." With her warning, he backed off from his offensive position, slithering over to his Mistress and taking up his favored position around her. Luna stared, mildly disgusted, before padding into the room.  
  
Usagi went to the desk, now becoming a familiar haunt, and quickly sketched a reply to Dumbledore, setting a meeting one week hence, enough time to prepare other accomadations and to break the news to her family before taking up residence in the wizarding world. She would be meeting him on Halloween, a time for mischief and candy, but deeply-rooted in symbolic history. She figured that being the head of Symbols, she might as well act the part. Sending off her reply, she glanced at her desk once more, and the stack off things she needed to complete, but couldn't gather the energy, frequent waking dreams having drained her mentally. Slipping back into bed, she prayed for no more dreams.  
  
And mercifully, the Lady of Sleep looked kindly upon the Princess of the Moon and granted the rest only the truly exhausted reach.  
  
-----  
  
It could be said that every person damned knows what his personal hell will be. Harry Potter knew, and was already living it. His dreams were getting worse and worse as Voldemort recruited increasing numbers of Deatheaters and ferocious animals to his cause. Harry was still connected to him and receiving the same horrifying images, almost nightly, but now...there were new ones, non-gory, but still frightening. Just the thought of the dreams pulled his latest one, from this morning, to the fore.  
  
[Her wings swept long and dark from her back, each feather outlined sharply. He could tell she was female before she turned, the naked curve of her hips too delicate to be a man's. He spoke a name, not remembering anything but the silken sound of it. She turned and spoke, "Chosen..." a voice of music and whispers. Long, long hair fell over everything, an unbound waterfall of silver. A moon shone bright on her forehead and her eyes held the darkness of the night sky, but stars stretching to infinity. Her speech was strangely old-fashioned when she did speak, "And wilst thou meet me by moonlight? For there doth our destiny's twine, thou and mine bright and strong." She reached out, long fingers grazing his head as she leaned in, face close to him, so close her breath washed warm over his skin and sent shivers down his spine. "Oh fairest of fair, bind yourself closer." And her lips touched his. When she pulled back though, it was not her unearthly face that leered at him. Voldemort's teenage visage smirked. "But she will never fall to you, not when she is mine to begin with." And the old laugh, a flash of green light, and]  
  
Harry woke screaming. Silencing spells had become his best charm from casting them every night, the strongest he could make, after waking the entire Gryffindor dormitory with the last one. Many of the younger years had thought a banshee found it's way into the boy's dorm. On his teacher's recommendations, he tried everything from a simple calming potion to the Draught of Living Death, and nothing had stopped, or eased the visions that threatened to overcome him. Harry accepted this and tried to get what sleep he could, resorting to skipping most meals for naps and having the houselves bring up food later on. Harry was plagued by frequent bouts of insomnia that left him haunting the hallways with his father's invisibility cloak and Marauder's Map.  
  
But at the moment, an observer would find the illustrious Boy-Who-Lived sitting on a damp stone windowsill, glaring out the rippled glass into the darkness beyond, cursing everything and everyone.   
  
But especially Serenity...the one from his dreams...and the woman he couldn't remember.  
  
-----  
  
The night of Halloween dawned cold and clear with a, ironically enough, full moon. Usagi checked over her outfit and supply bag once more before deeming herself ready. She, new professor of Symbols at Hogwarts, was going to make one hell of an entrance.  
  
-----  
  
Harry crawled out of the showers, still exhausted despite his two hour nap, and into fresh robes for the Halloween feast. His costume lay carefully packed in his trunk and awaiting the dance that would come after the feast. Only fifth years and up were allowed to attend, a type of cautionary measure against mischief on those who couldn't defend themselves. Glancing in the mirror, he ignored his reflection's chiding and ran a hand through his tousled locks, not caring about the fly-away mess. Harry, assuredly unintentionally, was going to make one hell of an entrance.  
  
-----  
  
Voldemort sat in his recliner and brooded. It was the anniversary of the defeat of part of the Gryffindor line, and it was also the anniversary of his first 'death'. But what caused him to ponder the flames so obsessively was his memories of his lover and the way she had screamed while watching him being torn apart. It was probably the only thing in his life that Voldemort regretted. He had searched everywhere for her upon his return, sending Deatheaters to Japan to find her, and recruit on the side. But still no sign of her. The only thing that showed on the magical radar was the Tokyo School of Witchery and the mysterious 'senshi' who had defeated everything dark sent their way. But no sign of Serenity...  
  
Not that she'd want what he had become, this horrid, snake-like creature whose only desire was for more power, no matter how it came to him. But only two people would remember the woman who had wept over his demise. And one was most assuredly a traitor and the other...the other was an ambitious fool who sought Voldemort's place as Dark Lord.  
  
Soon, soon there would be hell to pay from destroying him. But most certain of all...if Serenity was killed by Dumbledore's foolish Order, hell wouldn't even begin to describe the carnage that would fall upon Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
-----  
  
TBC  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed...Blind Seer (Have you read 'Through Wolf's Eyes'?), Lady Espelle (fried...hmmm...crispy Kris...sounds catchy, could make a fortune), Linauri (Give me kitty eyes and I might meet your demands for no more cliffies...but maybe not...), Asellus, jess, Shadansa (Trust me, the twisting of the plot is only beginning!), Kit (don't rely on completion...I have yet to finish a story...*sweatdrop*), Silver Moon Goddess (Original? Thank you!), Usagi Maxwell (Thanks! I know there aren't many pairings, it all seems to be where Voldie is her daddy, but I like as a couple better.), Gangsta Lovin, Kaiki (I'll answer your questions below, and thanks!), Eternal Cosmos (I can't promise you anything, but I guarentee some Harry/Usa action...which is kinda wrong considering he'll be a student. Oh well!), Sir/Lady Lupin (*blushes* Thank you ever so!), starfury3000, whitejadechan (See below), citra, Celestrial DreamBlaze (Definately will become a problem in the near future. Just wait and see), and finally, MoonPrincess2000204 (Thanks for the lovely email, this chapter came out faster for it!) 


	3. I pray the Lord

Title: Demons in My Dreams  
  
Chapter: 3 - I pray the Lord  
  
Author: Sera Luanma  
  
Disclaimer: I won't repeat myself. I feel it lowers my intelligence.  
  
A/N: Good Goddess did this take a while. I finally managed to brainfart enough out to -hopefully- make a coherent chapter. I know for a fact this chapter will raise some questions, so review away and I'll try to answer them in the next author's notes. Remember, I cater to your whims.   
  
==  
  
Kris  
  
-----  
  
There was a scream and a blaze of light from the boy, now a man, who had lain his head on his lover's body. The woman's husband stood slightly to the side, eyes burning brightly crimson in his rage and grief. The sobbing man turned to the other, emotions a roiling cloud in his eyes.  
  
"This is all your fault!" he screamed at the unmoving figure. "You killed her! You let her die by YOUR foolishness! Your spell that-" the man had had enough. Tom Riddle, most often known as Lord Voldemort stepped forward and swung a right hook at Harry Potter, savior of the Wizarding world. His voice was a low, menacing growl.  
  
"You think I loved her any less than you?! My desire for power was nothing, NOTHING, when she came back to me! Everything I did after her return was to protect her! I would have given my fucking LIFE for her! How dare you, a CHILD, chastise me on my actions! It was both of our spells that killed her! I have nothing left but killing you now that she is gone! But I made a promise...and even that last pleasure is denied from me. Harold James Potter, know this; if we ever meet again, I will make sure it will be for the very last time." Leaning down, Voldemort plucked a single glowing feather from his wife's wing before striding off, leaving a devastated Gryffindor behind. He didn't catch Harry's final coherent words mixed in with his sobs.  
  
"...but would you kill our children too?"  
  
When Draco Malfoy finally managed to drag himself to the site of the final show-down, he could only place a hand for comfort on the shaking shoulder of the mourner clutching a still-smiling body to him.  
  
-----  
  
Harry had chosen his outfit carefully, using all spells to create it out of base materials. And even though the research on the spells themselves had taken an eternity, Harry was exceptionally pleased with the results. The sixth year boys had already trekked down to the Great Hall for the dance, but Harry was going to be fashionably late to enhance the effect of his outfit, probably the only thing he could thank his dreams for. Toweling off from his shower, Harry turned to the mirror and place a wand to the damp mane of hair, muttering an incantation and watching his locks lengthen and curl to his waist before uttering the finite incanteum. Quickly braiding it, he turned next to the repairing of his eyes. After many hours in a medical/magical report, The-Boy-Who-Was-Optically-Challenged found the repairing spell for his near-sightedness. Carefully removing his glasses, he raised the wand and pointed it at his mirror image, a loop and swish later found the spell bouncing back from the reflective surface and hitting him straight in the eyes. Blinking a few times to clear the moisture, Harry spared a brief moment to marvel at his clear vision without the hassle of lenses.  
  
Only one more bodily transformation to go. Sighing as he already felt the drain of previous magic, Harry flexed his shoulder quickly and reached inside himself for that area that animagus training spoke of. supposedly, a TRUE magical being could harness the energy of the abyss where the animal forms resided and transmute into many forms. Pulling forth only some of the massive force he could feel, Harry envisioned great black wings. Stifling a scream, he felt the tearing of the skin and elongation of muscles that told him it was working. When the pain finally subsided into a dull ache, Harry mustered up the ability to rise to his feet - he didn't remember falling - and downing a Pepper-up Potion. Extraordinary new appendages now extended from his shoulder blades and brushed the stones of the floor. It was an odd feeling, Harry decided, to feel the cold stones with both feet and now something else.  
  
Ignoring the mirror's exclamations, he shook loose the ornate black leggings with silver ties up the side and slipped them on. A midnight colored open robe with arcane etchings that shimmered in the hemming followed, care being taken to slip the specially designed robe over his wings and extend them through the slits in the back. There was only two final touches. Reading an imported comic called 'Tenchi Muyou' had given him the idea for battle markings that he carefully applied with a temporary tattooing spell, commonly used for children and festivals. But what made the vision complete was the mark he etched on him forehead. For there, darkly humming, was the gleaming crescent moon he saw in his dreams.  
  
Smiling slightly at the overall effect, Harry glided down the stairs and into the Common Room and out the portrait hole. Moving swiftly, he heard the faint sounds of music that grew to a crescendo as he reached the doors to the Great Hall. Smirking slightly, he thrust them open and heard them hit the walls with a solid 'thud'. Movement stopped and the dull roar inside the room dropped to the level the band was playing at, unknowing of the disturbance. Moving forward, Harry saw a flash of gold and aimed for Hermione's stunning Cleopatra outfit, Ron standing as Marc Antony by her side. Whispers and comments flew as he finally gained their side. Ron let out a low whistle.  
  
"Bloody hell, mate. That's some outfit. You may even win first prize with it." Hermione quickly hugged him, but pulled back after feeling the brush of feathers and moving muscle. Her shocked eyes met his placid ones.  
  
"Harry...those are real!" Unthinkingly blurting it out, she only realized her mistake when the whispers got louder and people began to crowd around to try and touch the angelic additions. Harry's expression closed off and almost seemed to glare at his friends, but of course, that wouldn't be possible since he was the Golden Boy of Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Of course they are, Herms. You don't think I would get prosthetics simply for a Halloween dance, do you? It's a temporary potion." Brushing off the whole situation seemed to calm down the crowd with the explanation it was nothing more than something learned in Snape's classroom. But Hermione still didn't seemed satisfied. Seeing the hard eyes belaying the boredom of his expression, she decided not to press the issue...for now. The music seemed to dim as people once again began talking and moving about. Looking around, Harry did a double-take when he noticed Malfoy giving him a once-over. Meeting the paler boy's eyes, Draco smirked, but Harry got the last laugh at the expression on his face when Harry matched the Slytherin expression.  
  
Though, he got a shock when Malfoy wandered over. Harry attempted to clear his throat, but gave up and just let his jaw hang. Malfoy's silver hair had also lengthened, but only till it brushed his shoulders. It seemed to contrast perfectly with the crimson leather pants and black open-front robes he had donned for the occasion, leaving his pale chest bare. Small horns sprouted from his scalp and a demonic looking black tail swished back and forth behind him when he walked.  
  
"You know, I should have thought of that excuse earlier, but luckily, no one thought to question my new...'additions'." His pale eyes narrowed at the pseudo-angel. "The Shisei Theory was disregarded by most of the Wizarding world, but those with true powers know that anything is possible with magic. Tell me, where did you come by the applications for it?"  
  
Darting a glance at the people around him and seeing that they seemed to be paying a little too much attention to the duo, probably due to the lack of insults and fists, Harry leaned in till he was speaking right by the shell of Draco's ear. "As you seem to already know, there is no applications written for the Shisei theorem. It is still called a hypothesis, but we have felt the power and used it. Why do you play games, Malfoy?"  
  
Draco's eyes glittered in the light of the floating candles. "Games? I don't play those with you. Would you give me this dance?" While Harry just stared in confusion at the subject change, Draco took the opportunity to drag him onto the dance floor for the fast paced techno song playing while the band took a breather. Harry just stood stock-still for a moment while his wings shifted nervously. Draco's movements were as fluid as a cat's when he wrapped himself sinuously around the taller boy. "Let's give the rumor mill something to fuss with." Harry relaxed. This was something he knew how to deal with; Malfoy trying to make an ass out of him. Well, this time, Harry would show him. Letting his body fall into the music, he began to sway and twist, twining around the Slytherin as he likewise slid around the Gryffindor. A space cleared around the two while they continued, caught up in the beat and each other and heedless of the stares and whispers.  
  
Ron was about to pull out his sword and ram it through Malfoy's black heart - plastic or not - when Hermione grabbed his arm, eyes serious. "They're up to something. Give Harry some space, he'll come to us later." Turning the freckled face to her, she smiled. "Besides, shouldn't you be dancing with your girlfriend?" Ron gave a mischievous smile that melted Hermione's bones and he swept her close, both dancing to their own tune.  
  
Harry caught the other boy's gaze and was about to say something when the Great Hall's doors once again slammed forward to herald another occupant. This time, the music also stopped when the dancing did. Harry, confused by the sudden break from his thoughts, turned to the door and strained to see who had interrupted the festivities. When he did, Draco barely managed to keep his feet as the dark boy straightened and dropped his arms. Frowning, Malfoy also turned to see what the commotion was about, disturbing his efforts at being the center of attention.  
  
A woman had stepped forth from the shadows and entered the Great Hall. Slowly walking down the aisle of students parting before her, she reached Dumbledore at the head of the room and nodded her head at him. But what surprised everyone, staff included, was when the wizened Headmaster stood and gave her a deep bow, staying there until she gripped his shoulder and drew him up. She embraced him. "Headmaster."  
  
"My dear Usagi, call me Albus." Both their eyes twinkled at the reactions of the mass of students and professors milling around. Her silver hair was up in the customary odango and her crescent moon shone faintly in the candlelight. The pure white dress encasing her form was reminiscent of her previous life's outfit. /Amusing, I dressed up as myself./ The only difference was the white opera gloves to cover the mark on her wrist and the serpent wrapped around her body. "I suppose it might be time?" Turning he motioned with his wand and everyone fell quiet. "I am pleased to introduce the new addition to the staff to begin teaching next semester's class on Symbolism and Applications; Professor Tsukino." When every eye was trained on her, Usagi gracefully inclined her head. Dumbledore started up the music again and sat with the young woman to discuss the teaching position.  
  
Hermione turned to Ron, eyes shining. "A new class! On Symbolism, no less. I hope I can sign up for next semester. Maybe their will be a year limit? I hope it's not just for seventh years...And what a coincidence that she came to Hogwarts on Halloween!" Ron just pressed a hand to his forehead and dragged his girlfriend to the table set up for snacks. And they said he had a one-track mind.  
  
Students were still whispering while the stunningly beautiful woman conversed with the Headmaster, watching as he stood up and offered an arm in a courtly gesture. Her laugh was sent ringing around the room as Dumbledore twirled moved the young woman where he would, completely ignoring the classic waltz begin played. All the while keeping up a lively discourse. Usagi found herself forgetting that this was the man responsible for her beloved's death years ago.  
  
"...and Severus, my dear, you should watch for. He tends to be moody and prone to dark humor." Catching the tail end of what the older man was informing her on, she nodded and gave a smile.  
  
"Ah, that's never bothered me. Secretly, half of the stuff passes over my head anyways."  
  
A hearty chuckle, broken by an increase in the hissing from the uniquely colored Lancehead.  
  
"I hope your familiar isn't dizzy from all the turns?"   
  
"Not at all! Sinister just doesn't like all the unfamiliar people. He tries to protect me as much as possible."   
  
"As a good friend should in these days. But don't worry about the staff or the students, you'll get to know them over the course of your teaching."  
  
All too soon, the dance ended and the aging wizard gave a deep bow which Usagi replied to with a curtsey. "I think I'll mingle before I take my leave of your wonderful establishment." Moving through the crowds, Usagi stopped suddenly when her gaze lit upon the piercing emerald stare directed her way. Nodding to him, Usagi adjusted her gloves and felt an unfamiliar feeling of apprehension curl through her as the Boy-Who-Lived approached. Eyes focused on her forehead, Harry bowed almost mockingly and took her onto the dance floor for a fast-paced wizarding dance with complicated footwork. Usagi had read up on traditional dancing before coming, so was able to focus her mind on other things while her body worked.   
  
"I don't think it's a happy accident that you're also bearing a crescent moon?" he hissed.  
  
"Well, you certainly don't seem happy about it, Mr. Potter."  
  
"Why should I be when you keep me from sleeping and concentrating?! I don't even know you!"  
  
Draco, watching from the sidelines, was pleased to note the rising tension between the only two dancers on the floor. Smirking to himself, he bet Harry would have an even harder time keeping a straight head when she left, making him all the more susceptible to his plans.  
  
"And why do I keep you from sleeping? You aren't having...naughty thoughts, are you?" He snarled at her humor. "Or perhaps visions?"   
  
"Yes, damn you! And you know it! Who are you?!"  
  
"I am Tsukino Usagi, born in Japan, also known as Princess Serenity from the Silver Millennium. And if I find that has leaked out to become general knowledge, I'll Obliviate you so hard, you'll be wetting your pants again." Too stunned by her revelation to react to the threat, Harry didn't notice when the song became a slow ballad. Moving closer to Harry, she reached arms around him and he automatically reciprocated. "Harry, I know this seems a shock, but it's true. I...was there on the night your parents died. Your mother was very noble, but she didn't leave you that scar." Usagi reached up and moved a finger down the one in question. "It's the mark of a different kind of bond. If your precious Dumbledore cannot answer what it is...the owls all know where I stay." Parting from the almost familiarity of his grip, she gave a gallant sweep of skirts and moved along. Harry saw her occasionally in the arms of others and had to ignore the stab of jealously that rose up in him. He didn't even know why he was feeling this way! He just met her...didn't he?  
  
But one thing was certain, he'd find out the mystery of the silver-haired goddess if it killed him!  
  
----  
  
Severus Snape, voted snarkiest man in Hogwarts, was startled out of his thoughts of the new 'recruit' by the sharp pain in his arm. Too used to the feeling to let the pain show on his face, Snape glanced around quickly for Dumbledore. Seeing the old man, he nodded slowly and raised his left hand like he was going to wave, then swept out of the room, much to the relief of the others around him. Before he could make a clean get-away, the object of his previous musings stepped in front of him. "Severus Snape, may I speak to you a moment?"   
  
"Make it brief."  
  
She tilted her head a fraction and the smile slipped off her face, replaced by a blank mask. "When I start next semester, if I find you have done anything out of the ordinary to Harry Potter, I will personally hold you accountable. And you don't want me to bring to light some not-so-ancient history, do you?" With a last glance, Usagi moved back into the Great Hall, leaving the Deatheater to stare after her till another throb of agony brought him to his senses. Moving out of the school and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Snape slipped into the shadows and apparated away, still reeling over the threat of exposure.  
  
/But, how did she know? What could make her speak so confidently?/  
  
He found himself at the edge of some dark castle deep in the Carpathians, the new base since Voldemort's last defeat at Riddle Mansion when aurors stormed the place. Striding towards the large entryway, Snape could feel the touch of darkness moving past him, tasting his skin and continuing on. He steeped inside and was led into hell.  
  
Men hung from the walls in various states of undress, some with lacerations, some burned beyond all recognition, and a few untouched except for the blank look in their glazed eyes as the followed his trek into the vaulted chambers.  
  
"Wellll...If it isn't my loyal follower, Severus. How delightful for us to be graced with your presence." Snape ignored the heavy sarcasm and swept his robes out in a bow to his Lord.  
  
"You have Summoned me, my Lord?"  
  
"Yes. I am hearing rumors that Potter is severely distracted in school, and vulnerable. Lucius's boy tells me he craves affection, yet doesn't want to be touched. How is it that you have failed to report on something that could be of use TO MY PLANS?!" Chains made a distinct clank as their occupants shifted to the fury in Voldemort's voice.  
  
"My Lord, I have not noticed this vulnerability. In class and in the halls, he is the same annoying Golden Child he has always made himself out to be." Voldemort contemplated this and leaned back in his throne.  
  
"Perhaps you are not the appropriate tool to make use of these changes. After all, he is a teenage boy with...emotional...issues that could be helped along with the right...bait. Yessss...maybe I have been too hasty in my anger." He steepled his fingers and pinned Snape with his gaze. "Do you have anything of use to report to me?"  
  
"My Lord, there is a new professor coming to Hogwarts to teach on Symbolism. There is something about her that disturbs me with how she threatened me over Potter's safety-"  
  
"Another little Order groupie is of no concern of mine. Now leave my sight."  
  
"Of course, my Lord."  
  
Snape swept out of the room, barely managing to keep his fury under wraps. He didn't know why Dumbledore made him do this. No useful information ever came out of it, and Snape was treated as less than human in his meetings with Voldemort. He was about to reveal the new professor had an aura of suppressed power around her, but at Voldemort's condescending tone, kept the tidbit to himself. He would find a way to use it at a later date. As it was, Snape would be happy to be rid of the sinister place.  
  
----  
  
"Sinister, explain to me again why we must do this?"   
  
"Quit your whining and look attentive. When Dumbledore comes in, you must beseech him for rooms in the castle."  
  
Right at the snake's last hiss, the Headmaster walked into the room with a cheery grin. Sitting, he picked up a candy jar and offered Usagi a piece. "Lemondrop? They're my favorites."  
  
"Sure." Usagi popped one in her mouth and instantly felt more at ease. Slightly suspicious of the candies, she looked at Dumbledore with narrow eyes. "Spells on the candy? Unique."  
  
"Ahhh...but don't muggles come up with the more interesting pills?"  
  
Usagi glared for a moment before relaxing. "What I wanted to talk to you about was if there were accommodations in the castle I could reside in. It would be much less of a strain than apparating from a house to the grounds every morning. It would also help me become more familiar with the grounds and the faculty."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he seemed to seriously consider her request. "Of course, my dear. You don't honestly think the entire staff lives off campus during the year, do you? I did happen to set aside a suite when you wrote back to me. If you would care to follow me?" The aging man rose and strode down the stairwell, Usagi tripping on the hem of her robe to catch up.   
  
They passed the entrance to the Gryffindor tower and took a small hallway off to the right, stopping in front of a blank portrait. "Will you do the honors, Miss Tsukino, and set a password?"  
  
Usagi knew no matter what she set, the Headmaster would be able to get in she spoke the first word in her mind. "Chosen."  
  
The portrait swung open and neither noticed the beginnings of lines forming on the blank canvas. Stepping into the room, Usagi turned to look at the Headmaster.  
  
"The rooms are all yours, Usagi, to do as you please. Just remember, your fireplace has Floo access to any place in the castle not blocked by privacy. There are wards you can set to keep yourself separate, but in times of emergency they are over-ridden. I will have houselves bring you up dinner, as I have a feeling you will be otherwise occupied to come to the Great Hall. Have a good day, Miss Tsukino." And before Usagi could get a word in edgewise, the Headmaster was already out the doorway.  
  
The portrait closed on Usagi's surprised face and left only Albus's wrinkled visage to gaze at the previously white canvas. Colored lines had begun to bleed across the fabric in patterns yet unshaped.  
  
"Well. Seems as though she might be a bit more than I had hoped for. This could be very good for Mr. Potter...or..." he trailed off. "Of course not. Maybe Minerva is right and I am being a silly old man." Shaking his bearded head, he jovially walked off.  
  
----  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It's late and I figured you'd want a chapter rather than a lengthy A/N, so...I promise to give my gratitude in the next chapter. Which hopefully won't take a year to complete. :) 


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